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The differences between meat department associates and butchers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a meat department associate and a butcher. Additionally, a butcher has an average salary of $32,047, which is higher than the $26,955 average annual salary of a meat department associate.
The top three skills for a meat department associate include food handling, customer service and grinders. The most important skills for a butcher are food safety, culinary, and safety standards.
| Meat Department Associate | Butcher | |
| Yearly salary | $26,955 | $32,047 |
| Hourly rate | $12.96 | $15.41 |
| Growth rate | -3% | -3% |
| Number of jobs | 52,410 | 6,871 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 33% | High School Diploma, 42% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A meat department associate is responsible for addressing customer needs and offering product suggestions based on the customer's preference. Meat department associates ensure the safe storage of the products, carefully loading and unloading the items from the distribution trucks to the appropriate area. They also assist with product packaging, price labeling, inspecting quality, and eliminating products that do not pass quality standards. A meat department associate may also perform administrative and clerical duties as needed, such as taking orders, processing payments, and updating sales reports.
A butcher is someone responsible for turning whole or large pieces of meat into ready-to-cook or retail-ready portions that can be purchased by customers or restaurants. Butchers know how to cut meat, poultry, and fish properly, so they deal mostly with sharp instruments like knives, grinders, and other cutting equipment. Butchers are knowledgeable in the science of temperature and aging to ensure they are of great quality at all times and adhere to health regulations. They are commonly seen in wet markets, supermarkets, grocery stores, butcher shops, and slaughterhouses, but some are self-employed or have their own meat shop.
Meat department associates and butchers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Meat Department Associate | Butcher | |
| Average salary | $26,955 | $32,047 |
| Salary range | Between $13,000 And $55,000 | Between $25,000 And $40,000 |
| Highest paying City | Leesburg, VA | Boston, MA |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | Linklaters | Omaha Steaks |
| Best paying industry | Retail | Finance |
There are a few differences between a meat department associate and a butcher in terms of educational background:
| Meat Department Associate | Butcher | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 33% | High School Diploma, 42% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between meat department associates' and butchers' demographics:
| Meat Department Associate | Butcher | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 65.3% Female, 34.7% | Male, 88.0% Female, 12.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.3% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 14.9% Asian, 7.7% White, 64.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% | Black or African American, 7.6% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 19.5% Asian, 6.6% White, 61.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 3% | 3% |